Overview
AI-Powered Applicant Scoring uses OpenAI to evaluate applicants using your specific hiring criteria. Each applicant receives a score from 0-100, helping you prioritize which candidates to review first.
Key Benefits:
Save time by automatically scoring large volumes of applicants
Define custom scoring criteria tailored to each role
Quickly identify top candidates with visual score indicators
Maintain full control over costs using your own OpenAI API key
Getting started
Before using applicant scoring, you'll need to sync to OpenAI and configure your settings:
Step 1: Configure your OpenAI API key
Navigate to Settings & Members > Applicant Scoring in Dover https://app.dover.com/settings/company/applicant-scoring
Enter your OpenAI API key (starts with
sk-)Click Save API Key
Your key is encrypted and stored securely. You'll be charged by OpenAI based on usage - Dover does not mark up these costs.
Don't have an OpenAI API key? Get one at platform.openai.com
Step 2: Configure OpenAI API permissions
To ensure your API key works properly with AI Scoring, you need to configure the correct permissions in your OpenAI account.
Required OpenAI API permissions
Follow the instructions at https://help.openai.com/en/articles/8867743-assign-api-key-permissions
We recommend selecting All to make your OpenAI API key compatible with future Dover improvements.
If you choose to select Restricted, your OpenAI API key needs access to the following capabilities:
Chat Completions API - To analyze applicants and generate scores
Files API - To upload and process resume files
Models API - To get models and validate your API key
Step 3: Define scoring criteria
Once your API key is configured, you can set up scoring for specific jobs:
Navigate to the Applicants tab for your job
Click the Scoring button in the toolbar
Enter your custom scoring criteria in the text field
Click Save
Example scoring prompt:
Look for candidates with:
3+ years of Python experience
Familiarity with machine learning frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch)
Strong communication skills demonstrated in application answers
Experience at a high-growth startup (preferred)
Scoring applicants
Bulk scoring
Option 1: From "Scoring" configuration
Navigate to the Applicants tab
Click Scoring in the applicants toolbar
Enter or update your scoring criteria
Click Save and Score Current Page
Option 2: From the multi-select tool:
Navigate to the Applicants tab
Click Multi-select
Click select all or select which candidates to score
Click Score Applicants
The AI will start scoring all applicants in the background and it may take a couple minutes until applicants are scored. Refresh your applicant list to see updated scores.
Individual scoring
Navigate to the Applicants tab
Click on applicant's profile
Click the Score button
Re-scoring applicants
Changes to scoring criteria do not automatically update existing scores. To re-score with new criteria, run the bulk scoring action again.
Understanding scores
Scores range from 0 to 100:
90-100 (Green): Exceptional candidate, immediate interview
60-89 (Yellow): Strong candidate, likely good fit
0-59 (Gray): Does not meet minimum requirements
Scores appear as colored badges next to each applicant's name in the applicant list, making it easy to spot top candidates at a glance. If a candidate is still being scored, it will say "Scoring...".
What information is used for scoring?
The AI evaluates applicants based on:
Resume: Professional experience and qualifications
Application Answers: Responses to your job-specific questions
The AI compares this information against your custom scoring criteria to generate a score. Before you add a prompt, scoring will be based on your job description.
Best Practices
Write Specific Criteria: Be clear about required skills, experience levels, and deal-breakers. The more specific your criteria, the more accurate the scoring.
Include Deal-Breakers: Explicitly state what disqualifies a candidate (e.g., “Less than 3 years of experience” or “No Python experience”)
Balance Requirements: Include both required skills and preferred qualifications to get nuanced scoring.
Review Scores Manually: AI scoring is a tool to help prioritize - always review applicants personally before making hiring decisions.
Sort applicants by score
Navigate to the Applicants tab
Click the Sort icon
Click Best
Applicants will be sorted by highest score first, making it easy to review your top applicants.
Managing your OpenAI API key
Updating your key
To change your API key:
Navigate to Settings & Members > Applicant Scoring in Dover https://app.dover.com/settings/company/applicant-scoring
Enter your OpenAI API key (starts with
sk-)Click Update API Key
Removing your key
To stop using AI scoring:
Navigate to Settings & Members > Applicant Scoring in Dover https://app.dover.com/settings/company/applicant-scoring
Click Remove API Key
Confirm the removal
Once removed, you'll need to add a new key to resume using applicant scoring.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why don't I see scores immediately after scoring?
Scoring happens in the background and may take a few minutes to complete. Refresh your applicant list to see updated scores.
How much does AI scoring cost?
You'll be charged by OpenAI based on API usage. Dover does not mark up these costs. Typical costs are $0.01-0.05 per applicant scored, depending on the length of resumes and application answers.
Can I use different criteria for different jobs?
Yes! Each job can have its own unique scoring criteria. Set the criteria when you click the Scoring button for each specific job.
What happens if scoring fails for some applicants?
The system will continue scoring other applicants and will say "Scoring..." when scoring fails. You can retry scoring for individual applicants using the Score button.
Can I see why an applicant received a specific score?
Currently, the system displays the numerical score. Hover over the score to see why the candidate may/may not be a match.
Will applicants know they're being scored?
No. AI scoring happens in the background and is only visible to you and your hiring team.
Can I disable scoring for a job?
Simply don't click the Scoring button for that job. Scoring is opt-in and only runs when you trigger it.
What if I don't have an OpenAI API key?
You'll need to create an account at platform.openai.com and generate an API key to use this feature.
Can I choose which OpenAI API model to use?
Yes! Once you've added your OpenAI API key, you can select which OpenAI model to use from the dropdown options.